The Trials We Face
by IAmTheRevelation
Summary: Thomas and his friends are your typical group of boys- they share a love of T.V., the hatred of school, and the mutual hatred of Teresa Agnes. But after Teresa's sister, Elizabeth, comes into the picture, Thomas finds himself falling hard for his worst enemy's sister. Along with her arrival comes change- something welcomed but rejected all the same.
1. Chapter 1

**I thought this would be kind of cute to do! This is the Maze Runner without the Maze or anything of that sort. They're regular people who do indeed go to school- lead normal lives, etc. Anyways, this chapter comes from Thomas' P.O.V. Next will come Lizzie's, Newt's, Minho's…etc.**

**I hope you guys enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: (This goes for every chapter I post as I can't seem to remember to write it in -_-) I do not own the Maze Runner or any of its materials.**

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><p><em>Thomas' P.O.V<em>

_BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!_

I don't take kindly to alarm clocks. Never have- never will. I'm your kind of person who doesn't like to _EVER_ be woken up no earlier than eight o' clock. But I guess that A.D. Janson's Academy for the Gifted doesn't give two shits whether or not you sleep well at night because classes start promptly at seven in the morning and the asshole teachers assign mountains of homework that takes up your evening and ensures you don't ever go to sleep until well after midnight. That single combination makes me one grumpy son of a bitch until either I have my morning cup of coffee my wonderful roommate brings me each morning or the weekends offer me some relief.

"Tommy, get up!" The yell is from the kitchen; it's louder than my alarm clock entirely. I solemnly swear that the boy could wake up the entire dorm if he honestly wanted to. He's got pipes- my precious roommate Minho. Yes…Minho; Minho Hong… Little shit's been in the same room with me since I first got drafted into this hellhole. I walked into the dorm on my first day and he pulled a kitchen knife on me. That, my friends, is what sparked the best-friendship of a lifetime. "You can't deny the inevitable! Get the shuck up and get in here! Coffee's on the island!"

I groan, hitting the off button, allowing my head to hit the pillow. If it wasn't for Minho I'd have tardies racked up and I'd be serving on truancy right about now because I'd be sleeping my days away. As I lay there Minho throws open the door of our shared room. "C'mon, fat boy, rise and shine!" Minho kicks through the mess in our room. On my side it is mostly clothes but his side is nothing but bottles and pizza boxes and raunchy magazines. I feel my bed sheets being dragged from beneath me and the breath is knocked out of me.

"Asshole," I sputter, coughing when I catch a whiff of one of Minho's dirty gym socks that reached my side of the room somehow. I push myself into a sitting position, blinking to clear my eyes. Our room looks like hell- a shag carpet floor covered in clothes and pizza boxes and bottles and raunchy magazines. I bet that Vice Principal Paige would kick the bucket had she come in here- half of the girls would, anyways.

Minho prods me with his bare foot. I look up at him to see that he's wearing nothing but a pair of whitie tidies and his hair is a mess. Typical morning picture for me to see. He used to walk around naked until a couple of our lady friends- Teresa Agnes and Brenda Wilks- walked in on him. "You admiring my glorious figure or what? If you say yes I'm flattered."

"Did you eat bitch flakes or what this morning?" I ask, picking myself up off of the floor.

"I eat them every morning. Thank you, Tommy Boy," Minho says, giving a bow. Then his face hardens. "Get your shucking butt into the kitchen. I made bacon and eggs; coffee is on the island like I mentioned before."

I almost laugh at the part where he says he made food. Minho can't cook worth crap. I remember our second year here and when he cooked we had black smoke pouring out of our windows. He screws up cereal, even. The only thing he gets right is coffee which I think isn't right. "I'll starve this morning."

"What was that?" Minho threatens. He stands by his bed, swinging around a ball bat expertly in his hands.

I pale. "I meant I'm not hungry and I'll eat at lunch later today."

Minho smiles with satisfaction. "Good answer, Thomas." With that he stalks into the kitchen, evoking screams of the gaggle of people who allow themselves entrance to our dorm of the mornings. In our living room are two girls who are absolutely terrified of Minho- Teresa and Brenda. Along with them are a team of boys- Issac Collingsworth whom we call Newt to piss off; Galileo Bartee (who the hell names their kid Galileo?! His parents must have hated him) who goes by Gally; Albert Greer who we call Alby and the oldest of us and will be graduating in the spring; the youngest and my step brother, Charles, who I have affectionately dubbed Chuck; then, a dark skinned boy named Hubert Rollins who we nicknamed Frypan because he smacked Gally upside the face with a cast iron skillet and he has AWESOME cooking skills.

"Put some clothes on!" Teresa squeaks. "I don't enjoy seeing you half naked every day I'm here!"

Minho chuckles. Just to tick her off he sits back in our recliner, legs spread. Teresa and Brenda pales, inching closer to the boys. "Well you come here every single day, don't you? You must enjoy something about this place… Is it me? My cooking? Please say it is me!"

"Oh hell no," Teresa says.

"To what? Both of them?" Brenda asks.

Teresa snickers. "Couldn't have said it better, my dear."

I laugh, sitting at the breakfast nook, sipping at my mug of coffee. My eyes flicker to Teresa and she looks happy- unnaturally happy. Usually we find her scowling somebody here. She's not a very happy person needless to say. "What're you so happy about? You get laid last night, Agnes?" I quip after I swallow another mouthful of coffee.

"Do you always have to be so negative to me, Addams?!" Teresa yells.

I nod, eating a doughnut. "Yes, I must. Now, my dear beast, tell me why you're so damn happy." I smile at her, doughnut glaze and crumbs sticking to my lips. "Good grades? Did one of the boys get jiggy with you? Enlighten me."

"My sister is coming to school with us!" Teresa squeals.

I damn near choke on my coffee. Life with Teresa is bad enough- but somebody whom is genetically similar to her? Somebody who probably looks like her? Somebody that acts like her? No thank you. I didn't even know that Teresa had any siblings… She's never talked much about her family before so we never knew. Plus the quieter she was the better.

Minho pales. "Oh klunk, Tommy, the Agnes' are multiplying!"

"Oh shut up! You two are annoying. Anyways, she's starting school here in two days. She's moving in today and taking a couple of days to get settled," Teresa explains. "Her name's Elizabeth, fifteen years old; gifted in music and English Lit." She smiles brightly and I roll my eyes.

"So? She speaks fancy and can play instruments. I bet all she had to do for the entrance exam was bang on the keys on a piano," Minho says.

"Wow, you and Thomas are on a roll today. Calm your shit," Teresa warns. Her eyes narrow in on us and Minho and I struggle not to laugh. "She comes later today after lunch. I need somebody to help me help Elizabeth move in to her dorm…"

Newt, Alby, and Gally chorus loud "Hell No's!" from the back. Chuck states he has a lot of homework to catch up on. Frypan states he has to work. Minho has track practice along with Newt, apparently. Brenda can't because she has a "hot date." Then Teresa turns to me. "I'm not helping you move that beast in, Mother Teresa."

Teresa pulls a hundred from her wallet. "I was going to offer the person that helps me this but…"

I slam my cup down on the table. "I'm in! I'm in! I'm free the entire day after lunch!"

Teresa laughs wildly. "That's what I thought, Thomas." She tucks the hundred back in her wallet, giggling like an idiot.

…

I regret the words I said earlier. A hundred dollars isn't worth helping Teresa move her beast of a sister in. It's not worth standing out in thirty degree weather, waiting for a girl to come so I can load her stuff up and move her into a room. Normally on a good day I am a Good Samaritan; I'll help just about anybody who isn't Teresa Agnes or Brenda Wilks. So why am I standing her in freezing weather, in the snow, waiting for a girl to present herself? Well I can't get out of it now- partly because Teresa will kill me. I'll fully admit to being a little scared of her- always have been since when I first met her. Well…it's kind of Minho's fault and it is Newt's fault, too. They conned me into sneaking into the girl's locker room and it so happens that I took Teresa's bra. It was not a good day for us boys- Teresa gave me a black eye and Vice Principal Paige gave us two weeks detention.

I wonder if her sister will be like that. Evil, diabolical, and well…a beast. I can imagine a mini carbon copy of Teresa- brown hair, blue eyes, and a tiny body dressed in designer clothes. I hope that she's not because I have no luck with any of the girls here. Brenda and I tried to date for a while but she dumped me because it was too much for her but she seemed to be pretty cozy with another boy after that… Teresa vowed she'd rather die than be with me- even if it was up to us to repopulate the Earth after mass destruction.

My eyes searching the darkened campus. It's late evening- way after lunch. It's close to dinner actually. I'd expect maybe that they'd pull off somewhere because of the snow- if it keeps falling I look forward to classes being canceled tomorrow. The campus is full of kids though- swarming with students itching to start a snowball fight. I watch closely, hands frozen to the cart- Teresa should be out here, too, not waiting for me to call her to tell her that her baby sister is here.

"Hey, you mind helping me?!" a voice sounds. It's strained and sounds just a little wheezy- even in its state it sounds like peals of bells. "You, the boy wearing the DC hoodie!" I turn to the voice to see a tiny girl bundled in a thick white coat, jeans, and the Ugg Boots the girls like wearing around this time of year.

I debate within my mind if I should help her. Teresa will have my ass if she finds out that I've left this spot but I don't feel like leaving the poor little thing out here on her own. Unlike other people I have common courtesy. So I abandon my post, scattering across the frozen sidewalk to the walking bundle. She's taking a break from pushing her cart that's laden with objects from bedding to her wardrobe. She smiles shakily- a kind smile.

She breathes out a sigh of relief. "Thank you! It took me ages to wheel this thing up here."

I study her over and I debate whether this little beauty is Teresa's sister. I decide not because she's little- very little. She only reaches my mid-chest standing at her full height. Her face is framed by pin straight red tresses that look like dying embers in the setting sun. Her eyes are clear like the sky on a cool winter day, nothing diluting the beautiful blue. Her skin is whiter than the snow that falls… Teresa's taller and darker…not as fair as they young girl standing in front of me.

"Couldn't get anybody to help you?" I ask.

She shakes her head. "No. I asked around but nobody agreed."

I chuckle. "That was your first act of selfishness from the children here at A.D. Janson's Academy for the Gifted. Some of the kids that go here think that they're the shit because they have so called "gifts."

"Sounds like their parents are generous sponsors if they're here," the red haired mystery replies. She gives me a bright smile, her eyes changing as she looks as her things to ensure that they're all intact. "Is it too late for me to be here? Our car broke down and it took us hours to get it fixed."

"No! C'mon, we don't close down officially until after nine which isn't for another several hours. Let's get you settled in," I say, smiling at her as I take her cart. "By the way- I'm Thomas."

The red haired girl smiles. "Elizabeth; nice to meet you, Thomas." She reaches out carefully to shake my hand in which I accept, surprised when I feel warm skin against mine since the weather was so cold. "Now…could you help me get to dorm…150G?"

I nod. "Right this way, baby."

"Calling me baby already, huh? You're speeding into this relationship, aren't you?" Elizabeth asks. She helps me cart the thing towards the dorms, blue eyes shining. I roll my eyes, laughing at the girl. "I'm funny, I know." She chuckles before coughing into the bend of her arm, her voice rough.

"You're a work of art," I reply. I work her luggage cart into the girls' dorm in which it was uninhabited. They're all out since it is the weekend-maybe to the movies or to the mall. I hope Teresa is still here because if her sister comes I'm not sure I can take her. "You look pretty young, Elizabeth. How old are you? If I think you're as young as I think you are, my brother's around your age."

"I'm fifteen," Elizabeth says. Her small stature deceives her. Looking at her she has more mature features that makes up for her child-like height. Chuck, who is only here because he skipped 6th, 7th, and 8th Grades, is twelve. "I'll be sixteen in January. I'm in the 10th grade studying the Arts and English Lit."

"In what for Arts? Music, dance, writing?" I push her cart into the elevator, pressing the button for the fifth floor in which will lead to room 150G.

"Music," Elizabeth answers. "I play piano, guitar…a bunch of other stuff. I can play a mean Beethoven, you know?" She smiles a wicked smile that makes me laugh loudly, shaking my head at her. I'm liking this girl so far- how could anybody not? She's sweet- and pretty…really pretty. "What about you, Brown Eyes? What are you in for?"

"Technology," I reply. "Although I do like musicians…."

"Mmmm…I like me some nerds, too," Elizabeth says, winking playfully.

"You're such a little weirdo," I say, making her giggle.

When the elevator door opens we walk in happy silence to room number 150G. She looks at me with worried eyes for a moment and I smile. "It's okay- you do the honors. Nobody's gonna bite." I won't tell her my horror story of almost getting brutally stabbed my first day by my roommate. It might spare her the nightmares. Then, shyly, she opens the door with a key she had been given that probably had been sent to her through the mail.

The room, 150G, is uninhabited. It has a decent sized living area and a small kitchen joining it along with a breakfast nook like the one in my dorm. Off from that is a small hallway with two rooms on both sides and a bathroom between them. The dorm lacks decoration and judging from its sharp smell of disinfectant, it has just been recently cleaned for her. Nobody else lives here except for Elizabeth…poor little thing all by her lonesome.

"Lucky! You get a dorm to yourself!" I exclaim.

Elizabeth laughs wildly. "I take it you have a roommate?"

"Yep," I say, popping the _**P**_. "The little asshole has been my best friend since day one. He gets annoying, though- he really does. I'd say you'd love him if you met him."

"Wish I had one," Elizabeth says. She explores, looking around the room. The girl scatters towards the kitchen, looking around. Pots, pans…everything has been supplied. The only thing she'll have to buy is food and set up her bedroom. "I bet it'll get lonely."

"Nah… Girls here usually flock to each other's dorms. You'll never have a lonely day," I reply.

Elizabeth chuckles. "I'm not like most girls. I hate large crowds; I don't really like many people in general."

"So I got lucky?" I ask.

"Pure luck," Elizabeth says. She looks at me, smiling a gentle smile. "You know we're flirting really badly, right?" She begins to laugh, enticing to do the same.

"Waiting for you to pick up on it."

"I've known it since you said," Elizabeth deepens her voice to mimic mine. "'Although I do like musicians…' I picked up on your horrible flirting there. I was simply making fun of you when I said I liked nerds."

I pout. "So you don't like tech nerds? Does that mean my services to you, my damsel in distress, were for nothing?!" I throw myself on her couch, faking a pained scream. "No, Elizabeth, why?! Why do you dismiss our love?"

"I just met you, you creep ass!" Elizabeth says, horse-laughing. "You're not too bad, Thomas. You can come to my dorm anytime." She beams at me, her eyes sparkling like the sea.

I wiggle my brow at her. "Are you implying what I think you are?"

"You're a pervert, Thomas."

"Am not! I just have a very sexy imagination," I deadpan. We quiet from our bouts of laughter, the two of us enjoying a mutual silence that is warm and happy and all of the above. Then the silence is broken by the sound of her stomach rumbling. "Umm…you hungry, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth's face reddens to match her hair. It's endearing, actually. "Yeah… Where's the cafeteria here?"

"I'm not letting you eat there, baby," I say. "The food practically crawls off your plate. It might swallow you whole or you could mutate… There's a lot of unspeakable stuff that happens to that food."

"You make it sound like… Ehhh!" Elizabeth shudders. "I didn't think there was anything worse than food back at home but this might trump it all…"

I nod. "Damn right. C'mon, we're going to my dorm for dinner. You'll have real food tonight."

"You sure? I mean you just met me… I could be an axe murderer for all you know," Elizabeth says. "I'll go, but you have to be a hundred percent okay with it."

"And I'm fine with it. If I didn't care I would have walked and let you starve," I say. Elizabeth giggles and I smile lightly at her. I hold out my hand to her, nodding to the door. "C'mon, let's get out of here. You'll eat at mine tonight- you'll meet some of my friends. You'll need some guys protecting you here on campus."

Elizabeth chuckles. She follows me out the door, shutting and locking her dorm tight. "Why? Are they're creepers here?"

I laugh. "Oh, yes. Aris Jones is one… I can't say whether you'll classify Galileo Bartee as one, though."

"Who names their kid Galileo?" Elizabeth asks in terror. "Did his parents hate him or something?"

I smile brightly at her. "I think we'll be great friends, baby."

…

"Thomas, are you sure? I can order take out tonight or something," Elizabeth says. Panic laces her voice and I can tell she has some kind of anxiety.

I turn towards her, offering a smile. "Elizabeth, it is fine. My friends don't bite. Take a deep breath, relax, and then you'll forget it when you eat some of Frypan's food."

"Please tell me Frypan isn't that poor boy's name," Elizabeth says.

"No, his name is Hubert," I say, laughing.

"That's even worse."

"Tell that to his face. Might just whack you with a cast iron skillet." I unlock the door. I can hear the boys talking loudly. They'll scream when they see Red here with me. I look back to Elizabeth, nodding inside of my dorm room. "C'mon; go inside and take a seat somewhere. If Frypan is finished I'll get you a plate."

Elizabeth smiles gratefully. "Thanks Thomas."

"Anytime," I say, opening the door and Elizabeth pokes out from behind me. The red haired girl peers around shyly, her blue eyes landing on Teresa who sits beside of Chuck, talking happily to him. "Hey, I brought a friend. Meet…"

"Lizzie!" Teresa shrieks. Elizabeth squeals, running to her and the two lock each other into a hug. They stumble about, laughing and crying and everything at the same time. The frozen girl pulls away, looking up at the older girl. "When the hell did you get here? I told that idiot over there to call me when you got here… I was going to help you that way to didn't strain yourself to hard. Damn it, you're already wheezing, Elizabeth!"

Elizabeth glares. "Calm yourself, Skittle-Tits. Thomas helped me out- wheeled my stuff to my dorm for me. As for the breathing- I'm fine. Unless I'm turning every shade there is besides my very pale white, I'm fine."

I stare at the two girls. Elizabeth, sweet little red-haired Elizabeth, is Teresa's baby sister? I hadn't seen it when I saw her with her red hair and short stature, but with them together, I see the resemblance. They have some of the same facial features and their eyes are nearly the exact same shade of blue, only Elizabeth's eyes are a few shades lighter. I wouldn't have guessed that the shy little thing was Teresa's sister. Elizabeth is nervous and jittery- she's a sweetheart. Teresa is Satan in Areopostale clothing….

Teresa looks at me. "Thanks for helping her…I guess. You better have not corrupted her, asshole."

Elizabeth pushes her. "Teresa Jane, stop it! You're embarrassing me!"

"Don't use my middle name!" Teresa says.

"Then stop bullying people!" Elizabeth says.

"Of course, Beastie," Teresa says. Elizabeth glares, huffing. Then, when she hears the boys begin to laugh, her face turns a shade darker than her red hair and she inches closer to her older sister. Teresa puts Elizabeth on the spot, pointing out the red head. "Guys, this is my sister, Elizabeth. Elizabeth, this is the guys."

Elizabeth manages a wave and the boys chorus "Hello!" loudly. Alby stands, walking closer to her. He has a weird way of welcoming people- when I first met him and the boys I was the "Greenie" of the group. Soon after me my brother came and then we initiated Teresa into the group against some our likings. So until another poor soul wanders into our group…Elizabeth is our Greenie.

"Welcome, Elizabeth," Alby says. "My name is Alby Greer- I'm a Senior here at the Academy. Have any questions, I'm your man. Also, tomorrow, since it is a weekend, I am obligated to give you a tour."

"Nice to meet you," Elizabeth says bashfully unlike she had been around me. "Thanks, Alby."

Alby smiles. "Anytime, Greenie Girl." Elizabeth looks up at Alby quizzically, making him laugh. "That'll stick…Greenie Girl. C'mon, come and sit down with us. It's late and I'm sure you haven't eaten dinner yet. You can have a seat next to Tommy Boy."

Teresa practically hisses and Elizabeth nudges her. The two sisters sit down- Teresa wedged between Elizabeth and Newt. Elizabeth sits next to my chair in which I take quickly after getting her a plate, the boys passing stuff her way. Elizabeth, as little as she is, gets a little bit of everything, her plate resembling Gally's who eats the most out of us.

Gally chuckles at her. "There's not shucking way you're eating all of that."

Elizabeth snorts and Teresa laughs. The two sisters look at each other and then giggle, Elizabeth beginning to eat. "She's a bottomless pit, Gally. She'll eat that plate and then some."

"That little thing? Naw, I don't believe it." Gally inhales a piece of baked chicken, green eyes locked on Elizabeth who eats a forkful of green beans. "She won't get through half of that without getting sick."

"I'll hold you to that," Elizabeth says. Blue eyes alive, she delves into her plate of food and begins conversing slowly with the other. Also, she ate more than what Gally ever could- two plates of Frypan's cooking. Then she backed it up with Minho's peppermint hot chocolate… I can't believe how she stays so tiny, though…

…

After hours of talking on all of our behalves some of the boys manage to walk back to their dorms; others fall asleep in my living room floor, curled up underneath jackets and resting on torn off couch cushions and pillows. It absolutely amazes me how they all sleep like that in my floor. Even Minho lies curled up on the rug next to my Lay-Z Boy, a thin blanket covering his figure, and he's usually in our room, curled up in his bed of dirty clothes and magazines.

Teresa wound up crashed on my couch, sleeping soundly. I've always liked her better when she's asleep- she doesn't nag at all. The only soul awake besides me is Elizabeth. She's sitting quietly in the kitchen, her crystal blue hues looking out into the living room at the company that inhabits my dorm. She's shy- conversing in dinner wasn't much of a problem. She took quickly to Newt, Alby, Frypan, and Chuck; Gally and Minho were bothersome and persistent in talking to her which I could tell bothered her; she was a social butterfly with me and Teresa. She and Teresa bickered and we talked and teased one another like we were been lifelong friends

"Elizabeth, you okay in there?"

The red head smiles. She has a pained look on her face. "Just thinking is all."

I creep into the kitchen, sitting with her at the table once more. "What are you thinking about?" The look on her face has it all written… Everybody that comes here misses their families somehow. It hits others easy; it hits other harder. It is hitting Elizabeth harder, obviously. I remember the miserable first week here I spent missing my family- Chuck especially. "You're missing people, aren't you?"

Elizabeth nods. "Yeah; it didn't hurt as bad before. I miss my parents really badly. I miss my brother…"

"You have a brother? Teresa wouldn't tell me."

"He's my twin," Elizabeth says. "His name is Jonathan. I'm five minutes older than him." Her big blue eyes train on me and she smiles lightly. "Teresa wouldn't talk about us?"

"Not a word," I say. I lean back in the kitchen chair, propping my feet up on a stool. Elizabeth looks over me, smiling a gentle smile. I reach out, nudging her playfully. "Hey; it gets better. I'm sure after a few phone calls and maybe a web chat you'll feel better."

Elizabeth nods. "I hope so." Her eyes divert to the window- snow is falling steadily now, drifting slowly from the sky. "Do you think I should get Tessie? It's getting late and the snow is…" Her blue eyes flicker to me in question and I shake my head.

"Stay here for tonight," I say. "I don't want you girls walking back anyways. There are prowlers out on the loose at this time of night."

"Prowlers?" Elizabeth asks. "You make it sound like this place is a disaster site for girls."

I laugh gently before I point into the living room at my Lay-Z Boy recliner. "You can sleep there tonight, Elizabeth. I point to mine and Minho's shared bathroom, smiling. "If there's anything you need to do tonight there's my bathroom. If you want to brush your teeth there are some extra toothbrushes in the bottom cabinet of the sink. Settle yourself in- I'll get you some blankets."

"Blankets?" Elizabeth cocks her brow at me.

"They're working on our heating system and the third floor heater sucks, so it's pretty damn cold. I'll swing by with some blankets for you here in a minute." I smile at her and Elizabeth nods. She stands, walking quietly to my bathroom. The door shuts softly and as she busies herself there, leaving me alone in the room of sleeping teenagers. I creep over the sleeping bodies, grabbing two comforters from the closet. It's maybe the one place where everything is tidy…sort of.

I place the blankets on the recliner. I wait quietly for Elizabeth when I hear her tiny voice sound from the bathroom. "Tommy! Get Teresa's purse- it's on the couch! And…do you have any extra sweats that might fit me?"

I feel myself redden. Between her asking for some extra clothing and Teresa's purse, I know exactly what's going on. So with quick and quiet steps I hand her Teresa's purse, tell her that there are towels on the rack above the shower, and that I'll give her some of my clothes to wear tonight. She chirps an embarrassed thank you that was somewhere between a whimper and a cry. Then, after collecting clothes that consist of a tiny black shirt, sweats, and a pair of underclothes I open the bathroom door and throw my clothes into the bathroom for the tiny stranger. That leaves me in the living room, waiting for Elizabeth to make her way back in here. I flip randomly through the T.V. channels, trying to find something to watch when Elizabeth shuffles awkwardly out of the bathroom.

"Find everything okay?" I ask teasingly.

Elizabeth curses me. "We never speak of this again!"

"Mmmhmm," I say quietly. I point to the recliner where Elizabeth walks. She accidently steps on Minho who rises up, grabbing her ankle. She kicks him, muttering a string of threats she solemnly swears will become promises. I watch as she settles, the two bickering quietly until Minho promptly lifts his middle finger, flipping her off. She huffs, feeling around in my chair for something to throw at him. Just so happens that my football is there and she casts it at the boy, hitting him in what I think are the nuts. Minho groans and Elizabeth laughs, kicking back and draws her two blankets over here, cuddling into the cushions. Looking at her they swallow her little body, her person nonexistent in my recliner. "You going to sleep, Elizabeth?"

Elizabeth yawns, letting me know that she's near unconsciousness. I smile lightly, watching from a leather arm chair as Elizabeth is lulled off into sleep. When I think she's out I witness her sleepy blue eyes open, a tiny smile playing on her lips. "Thomas?"

"Yes, Elizabeth?" I ask quietly.

"'Night," she says. "Also, stop calling me Elizabeth. I hate that."

I smile. "What'cha want me to call you, then?"

"Lizzie," Elizabeth says, and then I don't hear from her anymore. The only sound I can hear is her soft breathing and gentle snoring. I watch in silence until I catch myself dozing off into sleep myself, falling victim to darkness.

I wake up again in an hour. The clock reads four and the dorm is freezing. Minho will be pissed when he wakes up… We've never taken it lightly to being cold and I believe that when administration hours begin I'll be paying the mechanics a bit of a visit. In the floor are sleeping teens, all huddled together for warmth- Chuck, Newt, and Minho. They look somewhat comfortable and Teresa, the little devil, is curled up on the couch, warmed by a throw blanket I'm sure Newt got for her. Hell…I'll never understand why Newt has had an eye for the girl.

My eyes flicker to the body in my recliner. It's curled up into a tight ball, hugging the blankets close to her. Elizabeth. I frown upon hearing her teeth chatter, realizing that underneath the blankets she still isn't warm. I make my way to the linens closet once more, reaching in to grab a comforter. I take the thick blanket, spreading it over the shivering girl and watch in satisfaction as she begins to warm quickly. I brush her now curly red hair from her face, admiring her innocent features that are hidden in the moonlight that casts oblong shadows through the windows.

A.D. Janson's Academy for the Gifted sucks…it really does. But maybe with Elizabeth here it'll be a little more bearable.


	2. Chapter 2

**A special thanks to everybody who followed and has made this a favorite story of theirs! I was expecting nothing the first chapter…but I got what I needed. I hope that you'll keep reading!**

**I hope everybody enjoys chapter two!**

**(This starts off as Lizzie waking up in Thomas and Minho's dorm)**

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><p><em>Lizzie's P.O.V<em>

"_It's going down! I'm yelling timber! You better move, you better dance…"_

I open my eyes, my sleep interrupted at the expense of a singing male figure. I blink a few times, confused by my surroundings when I see a brown haired boy sitting in an arm chair across from me, dressed in a pair of basketball shorts and a wife beater. His eyes that are originally a dark brown appear amber in the sunlight; they're deep and thoughtful as they train themselves on a book. He wears a tiny smile on his face that looks especially sarcastic in every way possible. Thomas…

And thank God he's the one not singing. I'd hate to have to ruin that pretty face of his. "Tommy?"

Thomas eyes flicker over to me. His smile widens and his eyes begin to sparkle. The boy lets out a quiet chuckle before abandoning his book, conversing with me instead. "Good morning, Lizzie." Lizzie- he remembered to call me Lizzie instead of Elizabeth. Oh, how I hate my name… Teresa tells me that I have it great compared to her. "Did you sleep well?"

I nod, stretching out in Thomas' recliner. It was like sleeping on a cloud. "Slept well- no complaints. Well…one except for that wake up call, though." Damn, I'll have to take home his Lay-Z-Boy because I'm so comfortable. As for the singing…really? I've heard a toddler carry a tune better than that idiot who is in the kitchen.

Thomas laughs. "Sorry, sorry… Just to let you know that Minho is a singer- or he aspires to be one someday long after his career in technical use." He flashes me a smile and I laugh gently. "But for now he's stuck…"

I roll my eyes. I look over my shoulder to see said boy in the kitchen, in a pair of nothing but underwear, singing and using a spatula as a microphone. Oh…that poor demented little boy. It's nothing new, really. I can't count the number of times I've found Teresa putting on a dance performance in the shower or finding my brother, Jonathan, singing to the Backstreet Boys and he, like Teresa, putting on a performance. "I take it you wake up like this every day?"

Thomas crinkles his nose. "Nah… He usually threatens me. Yesterday morning I was threatened with a ball bat."

I chuckles. "So he's violent with some serious underlying physiological issues? I think you need to warn me about the people I hang out with." I watch as his eyes settle into something of disbelief. "What?! Don't you look at me like that, nimrod."

"You're saying Minho in there has underlying physiological issues and violent tendencies? Teresa over there is about as bad as you can get," Thomas says. He points to my sleeping sister and I almost burst out into hysterics. He's not wrong at all. Growing up with Teresa I've been threatened by her more than once. She beat me and Jonathan more than once, too. "You look me in the eye and say that she's an angel because she treats me like crap."

I chuckle. "Teresa treats everybody like crap. It's nothing personal, really." I lean back in the recliner, deciding I like Thomas. He's nice, funny- he has good wits about him. He's courteous, too. Nobody is going to let a stranger stay in their place… "Hey, welcome to the team, Tommy."

Thomas laughs. The brown eyed boy smiles at me before peeking in at Minho. I smell something burning and I turn to look at him, too. Black smoke is rising out of a frying pan and it smells absolutely awful. Thomas looks back to me and I cock an eyebrow in question at Minho. "Is that breakfast, Thomas?"

"There's no way in hell I'd let anybody eat his food," Thomas says. "Don't worry- Frypan's making us breakfast this morning. Ehhh…can you cook? Frypan's looking for a buddy to help him."

I smile sheepishly at his question. "Does working a toaster and pouring milk and cereal count?"

Thomas snickers. "It counts for something, Lizzie. You have better sense than Minho about cooking- the poor boy burns water. He screws cereal up somehow. It amazes me." Thomas trials off, his eyes continuing to gleam brightly. We fall silent, enjoying the quietness of the apartment when the first of the boys stirs and I identify him as Newt.

Newt's handsome enough, I suppose. He's the kind of guy my sister would go for…tall and blonde, fit and athletic… Last night he was nice and proper- we made small talk and joked. But I didn't get him like I did Thomas. I loved teasing the brown haired boy and I took joy in the fact he did it back. Of course Teresa didn't like it, but it was funny, though.

"Ahh, good morning, love," Newt says. Yep- left one more thing out. Teresa likes guys with British accents. She's the biggest sucker I've ever seen for a guy who speaks a bit different than us. "Sleep well? You were pretty damn comfortable there in the chair."

I nod. "Morning, Newt. I slept well enough as I can in a strange place."

"That's great," Newt says. His eyes, a beautiful bronzy-brown color, flicker into the kitchen. His face twists into a mask of disgust. I clench my jaw shut in fear of laughing. "Oh, hell, Minho! What are you cooking?!"

"Bacon!" Minho shouts.

Newt shakes his head. "Bloody hell…that stuff isn't bacon." The boy shudders violently but looks comforted when maybe the idea of Frypan's breakfast comes to mind. "Anyways, Lizzie, have anything planned for today? If I am correct I think Thomas and I are giving you a tour of the campus."

"I'm free," I say quietly. I look to Thomas who was hoping for that answer because I catch him in mid-fist pump. Thomas only blushes and looks away, shaking his head. I can't control a bout of giggling and I nearly smack myself upside the head it is the kind of giggling that is all cutsie and everything else. It makes me blush and Thomas blush harder. It only makes Newt laugh until he's doubled over.

"So…eh…you two have something going on?" Minho asks from the kitchen. He's even bothered to bring that damn frying pan and I see the extent to what he's done to the bacon. It is black and scrunched up; smoke still billows from the pan. I pale, scooting to the far side of the chair away from Minho. The boy turns to me and he only smiles. "We didn't off on the right foot last night, did we, sweetheart? I'm Minho Hong, your own personal Mr. Fantastic and the school heartbreaker."

I glare at him. Newt scoffs and Thomas whines. Minho shoots me a death glare. Sorry to say Teresa and I share more than just facial features… I'm more like her than I care to admit in the facial expressions department. "We're getting off on the wrong foot still."

Minho smirks. "Mmmm…I like girls who play hard to get."

I give a frustrated growl. I want to throw something at him but I don't exactly have anything to hit him with that is within reaching distance. "I play hard to get about as much as people say they looking your cooking." And trust me- that is never.

Minho chuckles this time instead of his irritating infamous smirk. His dark eyes divert to Newt who watches us like an engrossing movie. "Newt, what do you think about her? Is she okay or worse than Teresa?"

Newt chuckles. "She's mighty fine- a keeper. Hey, what do you think, Thomas? Teresa worthy or you think she's the best thing that ever stepped through the doors as this hellhole?" I look to Thomas, more amused instead of embarrassed at their banter.

"I think that she's the best damn thing that walked through the doors here at school. Everybody else is evil or they're straight up assholes," Thomas says.

I smile. I don't realize how badly I'm blushing when Minho whistles lowly and Newt laughs aloud. Thomas, though, looks about ready to die. The boy curls up into the fetal position somehow, bringing a blanket over his head. That prompts me to laugh along with Newt. I look between Minho, Thomas, and Newt, feeling a lot better here than I had. I thought my first night would've been lonely but now I'm surrounded by a gang of boys who have officially stolen me away.

…

After a while the last boy woke up- Thomas' little brother Chuck. He was sleeping in the floor next to Newt the last I remembered. He's a nice little guy as far as anything else goes- he's loving and funny. He painfully reminds me of Jonathan in the personality department…maybe his hair, because Jonathan's hair is wild and curly much like Chuck's.

The only person to wake up is Teresa and nobody dares touch her if they value their lives. I've discovered in my short fifteen years with Teresa that you don't wake her up, that you allow her to wake up on her own. But, besides the threatening side of her sleeping habits, she's actually kind of funny. She's what my parents call an "active dreamer."

Taking it as she told me the last movie she watched was the Avengers I believe that she's probably dreaming she's the Hulk or whatever. Nobody should be making smashing sounds and screaming _"Smash!" _in their sleep.

That brings me here, sitting in-between Thomas and Chuck with Newt and Mingo on the ends, watching Teresa amusingly. The couch though, is small, so it only fits about four people. And guess where I am? I'm literally sitting in Thomas' lap and it is awkward, but I can tell he enjoys it. He tickles my sides; he pokes the sides of my ribs; he pulls on my hair, prompting me to turn around and smack him. But the one thing I find rather enjoying myself is when he has to wrap his arms around me to lean forwards, peering over my shoulder.

Newt looks to me. His eyes are alive with laughter and amusement. "Tell me, love, was she always like this?"

I nod. "Always. We were watching Star Wars and she fell asleep. I don't know what the hell she was doing one night, but she must've thought she was Luke Skywalker and I was Darth Vader. Didn't end well."

Thomas laughs. His face is pressed into the space between my shoulder blades. I can feel the heat of his breath when he exhales hair and his rumbling laughter tickles me, sending shivers up and down my spine. I feel a blush coming on despite my best efforts and it hits the tips of my ears first. By some good grace I hold it off of my face, though.

"I will destroy you!" Teresa screams, waking up with a start. I can't control myself from roaring with laughter, turning from Teresa to hide my face. Newt is howling with laughter, his hands flinging themselves to his sides. Minho and Chuck are hugging each other, screeching loudly with hysterical laughter that would wake the entire campus up.

As for me and Thomas…we're clinging to one another, laughing so hard we're crying. I find myself wheezing and despite my better judgment, I continue to keep going. I hide my face in Thomas' hair; Thomas covers his by place his in the crook of my neck. Is it wrong to say my heart flutters when, even by accident, I feel his lips against my neck?

Teresa's confused for a moment before looking at us all. She's giving off threats and everything, spitting curses and the whole nine yards. God, I missed my sister so much. "What the hell are you guys laughing about?! Elizabeth, you traitor, you're laughing with them! Why are you so cozy with Thomas, huh? You're sitting in his lap! He talked you into it, didn't he?! Let go of my sister, you creeper."

Before I can reply I feel my chest give a violent heave. A suffocated gasp leaves my mouth. The struggle to breathe begins because of the laughter. The first place my hands fly to are my pockets, searching for my inhaler. The winter air was already making me wheezy but laughing amplifies it.

"Lizzie?" Teresa asks. Her eyes grow wide for a moment before she shoots off to her purse. She's always kept an extra inhaler for me despite us being apart. She digs around in her purse, franticly searching as I gasp for air. Minho's in some kind of shock, Chuck is tearing couch cushions apart to help Teresa find an inhaler- Newt's trying to soothe me. I'm working too hard to breathe when I feel Thomas place me down. Only moments later does he return, my red and white inhaler in hand.

Thomas gently inserts the mouthpiece between my lips. He presses the button to release the medicine to allow me to breathe. "Hold it; don't breathe for ten seconds." I've heard those words all my life by either Teresa or the doctors who'd treat me when my asthma was absolutely out of control. I feel Thomas' hand on my back, his other pressing down once more on the button after ten seconds have passed. I intake the puff of medication, feeling Thomas remove the mouth piece again. He directs me to hold my breath despite me still hacking, rubbing my back comfortingly.

"One more," Thomas directs.

Breathing comes easier this time. My tightening airways are relieved from their burden. "Thomas…I'm only supposed to take two."

Thomas smiles. "One more, baby- just in case." Dear God…that stupid nickname! Baby comes from the worst movie of all time- Dirty Dancing. I hate that movie with a passion. Teresa, however, loves it. I don't' see how unless you count Patrick Swayze being in it.

I give in, allowing him to administer a last puff and my airways become clear for the most part without much obstruction. Thomas recaps my inhaler, tossing it gently to Teresa who looks sort of shocked but pissed off. "You know how to do that? What the hell are you? Dr. Quinn the Medicine Woman?"

"Tessie!" I bark. "Leave him alone!"

Thomas glares at Teresa. The expression fades after a moment or two. "I've had my fair share of asthma scares. When Chuck and I were home with nobody but a sitter, he'd have an attack or two. We had some pretty bad ones, didn't we Charles?"

Chuck nods. "He called the ambulance or made the sitter take us to the hospital. But he kept it under control."

Teresa was the same way. We're only a year apart but she was constantly there, controlling my attacks. She knew my triggers and everything. There was a point in time, though, where we didn't have access to hospitals and I didn't have an inhaler to be refilled or even to use. She managed, though… Now my triggers are limited. Things from an old life we once lived still send me into a spell- cigarette smoke; sometimes dust; frigid air even sends me into an attack if it is bad enough.

"Are you okay, Elizabeth?" Thomas asks carefully.

I smile gently. "Perfect." Thomas smiles back, relief crossing his face. The brown haired boy stalks into the kitchen, opening the refrigerator door. He comes back with a bottle of water that I graciously accept, the coolness soothing my lungs.

Teresa's eyes pinpoint on Thomas and then me. She smiles despite the way things played out. "So you and Tommy boy, huh? What was going on while I was asleep?"

Thomas rolls his eyes and I scoff. I sputter a little at the air at the sudden discharge of oxygen. Thomas nudges me and directs me to continue drinking water. I chuckle and Thomas smiles. His brown eyes search for a place to sit on the couch. "Hey, you got to sit in my lap," Thomas pouts. "Let me have a turn."

I chuckle, recapping the water bottle and I watch as Newt smiles a wild smile. "You dismiss our love for a woman?! Thomas, we only confessed out love to each other hours ago! You betrayed me!" Newt pulls Thomas into his lap. I laugh, Teresa snickers, and Chuck and Minho just look plain scared. To add insult to injury, Newt places a big kiss right on Thomas' lips.

Needless to say I've never seen anybody run faster than Thomas. And I've never seen anybody laugh as loud and hard at Newt.

…

"How the hell do you eat so much?!" Gally exclaims.

I look down to my plate. Frypan made homemade cinnamon buns for breakfast and they were huge. He made about two for everybody but they were unsuccessful in eating them. As of now I'm on my second one, a few bites away from finishing it off completely.

I only smile. "A trade secret."

Gally scoffs. "You're the size of a middle-school student and you're packing away enough food to feed an army! There's no trade secret there." Gally trials off, pointing at my skinny stomach. "And how to do keep so skinny? You should be overweight!"

"High metabolism," I say quietly. "And I work out."

Suddenly I've sparked the interest of Minho and a boy whose name I just learned- Ben. His blonde with blue eyes and he's tall and athletic; sorry to say that I don't find it attractive at all. "Lizzie, you said that you work out, right? Do you run?"

I nod. I've ran track here and there- actually, I ran track before transferring here. "Yeah… I run track."

Minho smiles like an idiot. "Track season starts in spring, Greenie Girl. What do you say about joining the team? We're still trying to recruit some newbies."

"I didn't really run much, though- I participated in the 100 meter dash…just little things," I say quietly. "Coach said I was too "prone" to asthma attacks."

Minho shakes his head. "I think you'd do well. We had a chubby kid who had an asthma attack every time he ran and the broke out into hives in the spring because of the flowers. We got a gold metal that year, my dear Lizzie."

I smile, taking a last bit of my cinnamon bun, my plate void of food. Gally gasps, suspending Teresa gentle laughter. The boy only curses, taking another bite of his food angrily. Thomas, who was already up, takes my plate from me and walks into their kitchen. I feel another smile take me over and I turn my head away from Thomas, looking out the window. Snow is still drifting from the sky- the campus is a winter wonderland.

"I think that a snowball fight is in order," Newt says. "Say- why don't we bundle up and go out?"

Teresa shakes her head. "Nope- you all can go, but Lizzie's gotta stay here."

"Hell no!" Thomas exclaims. "She's not your slave! Let her come on out."

"She just had an asthma attack. The air will make her worse," Teresa argues.

"I'm fine," I say, pointing out the obvious. "I won't stay out long. I'll keep my inhaler on me at all times. I won't run or do anything of the sort." Teresa's always babied me for unexplainable reasons… "C'mon, you know I can't stay cooped up here all day. I don't do well confined to places- that you know."

Teresa rolls her eyes. "No- you're just a crybaby. But okay- go out. No running; don't over exert yourself."

I nod. "Yes, Mother Teresa!"

"Shut up, Elizabeth," Teresa snaps. I only laugh, screeching when I'm thrown over Minho's shoulder. "Minho, stop it! Put me down right now!" I punch him in the back. He only gasps but he catches his breath.

"Aww, let me carry you! You're so little!" Minho says.

"I'm fifteen, asshole! I'm not a toddler," I hiss.

"Okay; okay," Minho says. The boy places me on my feet, only smiling. "So, everybody finish up here and are we going to get ready to go out? I think that Elizabeth here would enjoy a friendly snowball fight and then, we can give her a tour of the campus."

One by one they all agree. "Greenie Girl, go to your dorm- suit up. Make sure you were layers." With that the crowd of boys disperses. They talk- Newt makes a habit of flirting with my sister and her face runs bright red; Chuck teases Minho; Gally puts Frypan and Alby into chokeholds.

Thomas, however, walks up to me. "Would you like me to walk you back? You can dress over there and we'll report back here."

I nod. "Sounds like a plan." Thomas smiles. The dark haired boy walks over to the wall, pulling off two coats. He hands me mine and I pull it on, zipping it up. Thomas does the same before taking a light white cap- a knitted one made with soft yarn that is bound to keep you warm. "What was that for?"

"To keep you warm," Thomas says. He adjusts it so it is pulled over the tops of my ears and he chuckles. "You'll need one, won't you?"

I only nod to his question and Thomas laughs. He leads me out and we begin walking back to the girls' dorms. We chatter back and forth, creating small talk. I've known Thomas not even a full day, but somehow I find him stealing my heart in tiny pieces, and it scares me. I've never allowed myself to warm up to people like I'm doing with Teresa's friends- let alone become close friends with just one of them. In my life I've lived through several terrors and I've never gotten along great with boys and or men. They terrify me sometimes.

But why is Thomas so different?


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks to everybody who has made this a favorite and has followed this story! I hope that you continue to read, and leave some feedback on something you'd like to see. Oh, yes, whose perspective should I go by next since I have used Lizzie, Thomas, and Teresa's?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Maze Runner or any of its materials.**

* * *

><p><em>Teresa's P.O.V<em>

"Why are you so buggin' angry?" Newt asks.

I'll tell you exactly why I'm angry. Here I am, in nineteen degree weather, watching Minho and Thomas chase my sister who runs like a maniac through the school's campus. They take cover in random places- Thomas behind a car, Minho behind a bush. Lizzie, though, becomes creative and the little weirdo picks up a trash can lid and takes shelter behind that and still fires snowballs. This spells out disaster- an asthma attack, really. She's going to start wheezing and then I'm going to be in the back of an ambulance with her.

I glare at the British boy. I can't say I exactly hate Newt- he's a lot better than Thomas and Minho- even if he did try to steal my bra… He's a good friend nonetheless. "I told her not to over exert herself. She's doesn't listen to anything."

Newt chuckles gently. He's infatuated with Lizzie, really. He thinks the world of her already and they've met only hours ago. "She looks like she knows her limits. And, as for the not listening? She listens. She's just bloody stubborn. Sounds like somebody else I know." Newt winks playfully at me and I roll my eyes. "But no- Lizzie's fine. She'll tire out here in a moment or two."

He trails off for a moment. He then smiles like the Cheshire Cat. "You were throwing a fit over her and Thomas, eh?"

I like Elizabeth with Thomas about as much as I like the sight of Minho in nothing but his underwear- I despise it. I was damn near surprised when I woke up- Lizzie, in Thomas' lap, laughing with her face hidden in his hair. His arms were wrapped around her, holding her close- too close. She, too, was embracing him. I'd have to give Thomas some brownie points, though- he stopped her attack like a pro. It made me feel bad that I wasn't there first, like I always was. "I'm not too fond of it…no; definitely not. In fact, I don't like them together at all."

Newt snorts. "The two have barely known one another for a day and they're already taken with one another. Do you see the way the little buggers look at each other?"

"You're delusional!" I exclaim. "They don't look at each other in any way!" I'm prepared to yell more when I see Lizzie slip and fall, my strawberry-blonde haired sister hitting the ground. She rests on her stomach as she spins to a stop into a snow bank, laughing wheezy laughs and gives out chesty coughs. I smile inwardly as Thomas' little brother Chuck whizzes by, helping Lizzie up, the two of them using the ice covered sidewalk as a means of flinging one another and seeing how far each other will go before slipping and falling.

Beside of me Newt is laughing, watching my sister curiously. I can see a pang of pain in his eyes as Thomas picks up a laughing Lizzie. But he doesn't have time to brace himself when said girl whirls a snowball at him, hitting him in the face. Newt glares at the girl before standing himself, picking up a snowball, thus starting the biggest snowball fight I've ever seen. I watch in amusement as Newt picks up my sister, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Okay, love…let us play dirty, if that is the game you'd like to play," Newt says. With help from Minho and Thomas, they stand at the top of a small snow bank, Newt allowing Thomas to take Lizzie's feet and he her hands. "This is for your own good, lil' bugger." Newt and Thomas swing Lizzie back and forth, laughing as she screams. Then, they ceremoniously throw my sister into a pile of snow taller than her.

I cringe, watching as Lizzie makes her way out. She's covered in a layer of snow, my sister making her point by spitting out powdery snow. The boys are cackling; Minho drops and rolls down the side of the snow bank, shrieking. Lizzie dusts the now off of her; Thomas helps, brushing the snow off her arms and takes her hat off her head, giving it a good shake before tenderly placing it back on her head, covering the tops of her ears. I watch as the once energetic girl walks slowly over to the place next to me, her cheeks rosy from the air.

I nudge her. "Wear yourself out yet?"

Lizzie grins. She starts out with a breathless sentence. "Shut up… God, I haven't had this much fun since you left home." Lizzie smiles, turning her attention back to Thomas who looks at her tentatively. She gives a thumbs up, but letting him know she needs a break. The dark haired boy nods before scattering up the snow bank, shoving his little brother off. Lizzie chuckles, watching closely with her crystal hues. Then, she turns to me. "I missed you, Tessie."

I smile gently, adjusting her hat, taking note that it is Thomas' hat. "I missed you, too, you little brat." Lizzie laughs, the younger girl jumping at me, drawing me into a tight hug. I wind my arms tightly around my sister, holding her the exact way the day I left. I feel bad…we've never really been in touch besides the phone calls or me coming home for holidays. And I feel awful because I said I'd be there with her…. It was me that could only calm her down after a panic attack; her asthma was only controlled by me; she took comfort in me and I left her. She sounded like she managed enough over the phone but I knew she was bothering by my absence- in any sense she had Jon with her, but that didn't soothe her.

"How have you been doing?" I ask quietly.

Lizzie sighs. "It was hell for me when you left." No joke- the first week I left she was a jumbled mess of nerves and asthma that flared when she threw herself into a panic attack. She's suffered from that her entire life- I remember since we were children she's been cursed with anxiety and asthma. Before we were adopted by our current parents, our biological ones truly caused her anxiety…PTSD- whatever the hell you call it. Her asthma wasn't treated well or anything. I remember many sleepless nights when we were little, Lizzie having several attacks a week deep into the night. The rushed hospital trips; the E.R. visits; talks with the therapist…all linked back due to our family situation.

"Hey, you're here with me," I say. "Let's make the most of this."

Lizzie only nods. "Why couldn't Jon be a genius, too? He'd love it here with us."

I chuckle. "This school doesn't need three Agnes' on the same property. Let's spare them the pain of only having two."

Lizzie rolls her eyes at me, looking back out to the boys. She cheers on Newt who wrestles Gally, her words cut off by coughs and wheezes, but she kept going, though. I watch her, seeing that this is the happiest she's been in a long while. I see a spark in those eyes of hers that I've never seen before- they're so alive…filled with excitement.

…

"C'mon, I want to go to the music room!" says Lizzie, the girl almost ready to jump out of her shoes. She gives a chesty cough and drags Newt who said he was going to go to the music room. Newt, like Liz, is gifted in music. The boy is a genius when it comes down to a violin or a piano- Lizzie's a master with a piano, a cello, and a guitar.

From behind I can hear Alby, Minho, and Newt laughing at her enthusiasm. She's got Newt by the hand, dragging him down the hall with all of her 110 pound might. I see the fingers of her free hand move like they're striking the keys of a piano. "We're going, love, we're going! Settle yourself."

Lizzie laughs slightly. "You have a piano, right? What about a cello and…"

"We have everything," Newt reassures. I watch as Newt bends down, scooping up Lizzie in his arms, holding her. He runs down the hall with her in an awkward limp he's had since as long as I could remember. "Oh, how can I ignore the excitement? Let's run!"

I watch as they disappear around the bend. The last moment Newt's feet slip and he falls forwards, dropping Lizzie and knocking the breath out of himself. I wait to hear Lizzie's coughing but it never comes. I hear laughter coming from the two of them and then I hear the slapping of feet on the tile flooring. I roll my eyes and I feel Alby nudge me gently.

"I think your sister has a best friend," Alby says.

I shake my head. Next to Alby is Thomas, his brown eyes set in a look of distaste. Hahaha….Thomas is jealous over the two. Jealous…I knew he had the hots for my sister. "She needs some friends in her life. You're the first that she's ever taken to, though."

Thomas gives me a funny look. "Somebody like her didn't have friends? There's something wrong there."

"She's always been shy," I say quietly. Lizzie was always shy. When she was in Kindergarten she was painfully shy, but that was an effect of the PTSD; she was scared of the students and the teachers. She was close with Jonathan, our brother and her twin; she tried to veer to me, but I couldn't provide that constant shelter because she was in a lower grade. "Never knew why, though… She's outgoing." That's a lie…a big fat one. I can't tell anybody about our childhood- it's too painful to explain.

Thomas nods thoughtfully. Just as we walk into the music room a sweet, melodic sound fills the air. After we were adopted by the Agnes', hearing this music was common. Our adoptive mother loves piano and Lizzie thought it was interesting. Lizzie sat beside of her and watched her play in silence. Then, three days later, Lizzie sat at the piano, creating tunes of her own, and her fingers moving expertly across the piano. It was a month later she was reading music notes by herself and playing Beethoven or Mozart.

Minho gives Lizzie a funny look. She sits at the piano, her expression lit up. She's on her own little world where only the sound of music is heard. I watch in awe, forgetting my little sister knows how to play so well. I turn to see Thomas gaping at the tiny girl, watching her create a melody so soft and sweet it could melt the hearts of millions.

"Elizabeth," I say.

The melodic music stops. Her crystal hues train in on me. "Sing." Besides her ability to play an instrument, she can sing. I remember, when she was young, she'd sing. I'd hear her sing a children's song when she was little, warding off feeling of terror and hopelessness when she'd have an asthma attack or when our father would show himself after weeks of being gone. "C'mon! You can sing!"

Lizzie gives me a look. _"No."_

I sigh exasperatedly. "If you can sing in front of a thousand people you can sing in front of us." True- she sung at school for a talent show one year- that is how she got drafted here to this place. "Sing 'Breathe Me.'"

Lizzie shakes her head. "I didn't have to see all those people again!" She fades silent for a moment before speaking once more. "Okay- which version, though?"

"Doesn't matter," I say quietly. Breathe Me is one of my favorite songs- especially after watching a kid sing it on a T.V. show after Lizzie forced me to watch against my will. "Sing!"

Lizzie gives a last, chesty cough before glaring at me. "Okay; okay! Sheesh, you're an annoying little bugger." Bugger…the infamous word she's called just about everybody since she was two. I look to Newt who laughs- he thinks that it is funny…and cute. There is admiration in his eyes for her.

I watch as she begins to play out the familiar melody of the song I love. It's not particularly comforting or anything- it is a sad song, actually. But it could describe me- and Lizzie- more. Then, aside from the melody of the piano, Lizzie's soft voice fills her air, gentle and soothing. In her eyes, though, I see the pain I've known her to hold for years.

"_Help, I have done it again…_

_I have been here many times before_

_Hurt myself again today_

_And, the worst part is there is nobody else to blame…"_

The song was a reminder of what I had been doing to myself when I was younger. I self-abused countless times, remembering the horrors of home. I remember when I was fourteen I woke up in the hospital with my hands and arms bound in bandages; Liz was crying over me, the thirteen year old having a panic attack along with an asthma attack on top of it.

"_Be my friend_

_Hold me, wrap me up_

_Unfold me, I am small_

_I'm needy, warm me up_

_And breathe me…"_

Lizzie's voice cracks; her melodic piano playing stops. The strawberry-blonde stops singing, squeezing her eyes closed. I see the pain of years of being scared and broken- she shows a side of herself nobody was ever allowed to see except me.

"Elizabeth?" Thomas asks carefully. I watch as the boy approaches her and I am once again left speechless in how he treats her. Thomas sits quietly on the piano bench and I watch as he places his hand cautiously on Lizzie's shoulder. "Hey, look at me."

I watch as Lizzie's blue eyes flicker to Thomas. He smiles a gentle smile. "Don't be scared…ashamed." I watch as Lizzie breaks out into a small smile. She steels her little pale hand on Thomas', clutching it tightly. "You're a friend- my friend."

Newt bends across the piano. He taps Lizzie on the nose, evoking a soft chuckle from her. I watch as Newt grins. "And you're my friend, love. You have since you first stepped foot though those doors."

"Come here, best friend!" Minho shrieks. He runs across the room, enveloping my sister in his arms, shaking her violently. Had I known any better he probably caused brain damage. "I love you, best friend!"

Like a chain reaction the boys are crowding her- they swallow her into big group hug, making her outright laugh. They themselves are laughing along with her. Out of the crowd Minho still holds a giggling Lizzie, clutching the fifteen year old tightly to his body. Lizzie seems comforted, a wide smile on her face, a spark of life in those big blue eyes of hers.

I think she's just won many new friends out of this rag-tag team of boys. They'll serve as protectors and all to her, which I can ask more for. Between her and Thomas they definitely have something going on that will do her some good. She's getting along great with Newt. Minho presents a challenge for her but she looks happy enough with him… I'm glad, too. I think she needs friends.

Minho coughs. "Okay, now that the horrible, depressing moment is over, play something happy!"

Lizzie smiles, clearing off all the boys. In a quick move of her fingers she has the boys laughing and dancing, creating the same tune off of Charlie Brown. Somewhere Newt drags me into the mix, the lot of us screaming and laughing and dancing. For the first time in a long time, I feel like things are going better instead of worse, and I am thankful for that.

I'm just glad to see Lizzie so happy.

…

"I'm fine!" Lizzie says. She's wheezy and giving out loud, chesty coughs. She's been on the move almost all day, trying to piece together her dorm room. She's been cleaning and rearranging and putting stuff up. Lizzie's been working herself too hard.

I shake my head. "No; I want you in the living room."

The boys watch as Lizzie stops moving her bed around. She gives another cough, taking in another shallow breath. My sister falls back against the mattress, groaning a bit before looking to me in utter frustration. "M'fine, Teresa. I'm just a little wheezy."

"You're going to have another asthma attack," I protest. "Into the living room. Your nebulizer is in there on the coffee table. I'll get the medication myself."

Lizzie gives me an exasperated look. I open my mouth to argue with her but I allow it to close as Newt quietly creeps in with Thomas, the two boys rallying her up. Newt pats her back gently. "C'mon, love, let's get you settled."

"Don't worry, Teresa, I have the treatment," Thomas says. He smiles lightly at Lizzie who offers a weak one back. Then, I watch as Newt walks my sister into the living room. I hear the soft hum of her nebulizer and then her breathing, once horribly wheezy, begin to soften with the medication. I peek from my work of helping her with her clothes to see her sitting on the couch, the mask strapped around her face fogging with each exhale.

I stop my work, creeping into the living room. Thomas sits in an arm chair, Newt in the floor, and the rest of the boys have came to sit in various places, eyeing her nebulizer with wonder. Minho, like a school boy, raises his hand and asks a question. "How do you wear that damn mask?"

Lizzie chuckles. "Well, Minho, this said damn mask was annoying as hell when I first wore it. I hated it on my face when I was little. You get used to it after a while."

"We had bad nights with that thing, didn't we?" I ask.

Lizzie nods. "Horrid ones…" She takes a deep breath, allowing the mist to clear her lungs. I see a smile of satisfaction through the mist and then the mask fogs with another slow exhale on her behalf. I watch as Lizzie's hands begin to shake. They're gentle, but they still shake. Newt looks at her in terror and Lizzie smiles gently. "S'kay, it's only the albuterol. It makes me shake."

I chuckle. "You should've seen her on the steroids."

Lizzie throws a pillow at me. "No! Don't you dare, Teresa Jane!"

I clench my jaw shut to keep from laughing. Lizzie huffs, the sudden discharge of air making her cough rather violently. I want to suddenly help her but she regains her breath just as soon as she lost it. I watch as she adjusts the mask on her face, settling it to make it comfortable again. She's not that little girl who could barely control the attacks anymore…

"Well, this has been one hell of a house warming party," Minho says. "Well, why Greenie Girl takes her treatment I say let us watch T.V.!" The boy jumps up, plopping down beside of Lizzie. The strawberry-blonde casts the remote at him- just hard enough to hit him in the arm to hurt him. While Minho groans and rubs at a red spot on his arm Lizzie laughs, sputtering at the air as she does so.

Then somewhere in the mix of teenagers crowding in Lizzie's living room we all wind in on the couches or on arm chairs or the floor. Then, after five episodes of Ridiculousness and then two episodes of Anger Management, a bunch of them is asleep. That counts Lizzie, the young girl curled up on the couch with her body tucked into Thomas' and her legs slung across Minho and Newt, Minho being the one asleep. I turn to look at the clock, nine making its appearance. We have an hour to be back in our dorms and all…

"Elizabeth," Thomas whispers. I watch as big blue eyes bore into a warm brown. They two stare at one another for a moment before Thomas gently shakes her. "Elizabeth, why don't you go to bed? I'll wrangle up my guys here."

Lizzie, still half-asleep, nods sleepily. "Good idea…" She yawns, stretching her arms before curling back into Thomas. "'Night, Tommy." Then, just as quickly as she had woken, she falls back asleep, sleeping soundly against Thomas.

I watch, awe stricken that she's allowed herself to get as close to Thomas as she has. Shy little Elizabeth Agnes is gone…at least around Thomas Addams anyways. Then, in the dim light of the T.V., I see Thomas wrap his arm around Lizzie's back and another winding around her legs. He lifts her up, holding her close to him. I watch how she cuddles to him like she's meant to be there, her body subconsciously molding to his. I see Thomas' smile- that rare smile he dare shares with anybody new. It took me months to win that smile; the boys took less, but it was a while before Thomas smiled at them, too.

Thomas' body disappears into the darkness of Lizzie's bedroom. I peek over Newt's head to see him laying Lizzie down, covering her body with the white-gold duvet with care. He admires her for a moment, pushing back her strawberry-blonde curls before bending down, placing a kiss against her forehead.

"The bugger is star-struck with her," Newt says. He grins at me like an idiot.

I roll my eyes. "Don't rub it in, Newt."

"Yes, Teresa. C'mon, help me wake these shanks up," Newt says. His brown eyes flicker in on Lizzie. He nods to her. "Make sure everything is in order with her, eh?"

I shake my head. "No- I think she's fine. Thomas would've heard…" I break off from Newt, dodging around Thomas who walks from Lizzie's room. I bend down over my little sister, kissing her forehead softly. I hear her breathing pick up speed.

"Goodnight, Teresa," Lizzie says lightly.

I chuckle, knowing what she was playing at with Thomas. "Goodnight, brat. I'll see you tomorrow."

Lizzie nods and she's out for good this time, her snores filling the air, letting me know she's exhausted herself today- but she's had fun, too.

* * *

><p><strong>What'd you think? Oh, yes, who should our pairings be? ThomasLizzie and Newt/Teresa are how things are looking.**

**Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Thanks to all who have made this a favorite, who have followed me, and who have read! It means a lot. And a special thanks to last chapter's reviewer! _**

**_I hope everybody likes this chapter. I'm hoping to stick with the Thomas/Lizzie and Newt/Teresa shipping. If you read, let me know who'd you like to see!_**

**_Enjoy! Read and Review, please!_**

* * *

><p><em>Lizzie's P.O.V<em>

"Elizabeth Marie, get your skinny ass up!"

I groan, rolling over onto my side. I hate morning wakeup calls completely. I prefer waking up on my own time, not at the expense of an alarm clock blaring like a bomb ready to detonate. Continuing to lay on my side, I take in a deep breath to only find my airways inflamed and congested. I give out a body-shaking cough that makes the person who woke me shudder. I turn back over to see Teresa standing in her night shorts and a dark shirt with Darth Vader plastered on the front of it.

Teresa smiles. "You sound like hell."

I roll my eyes distastefully. I reach onto my nightstand for my inhaler, shaking the canister and then taking in the deepest possible breath I can muster, I take in the medicine. After a second puff and the inflammation fading, I can breathe besides the congestion. "And you look like hell, Teresa." No kidding, either- without her makeup Teresa can scare off a blind man.

"Aren't we cranky this morning?" Teresa asks sarcastically as she plops down on my bed. The girl kicks back against my pillows, nudging me. "You sleep well last night? You looked pretty damn cozy with Thomas, you know."

I feel a blush creep across my face. I like Thomas a lot- more than I should for a guy I just met. Teresa laughs loudly and I punch her for good measure, sinking down next to her on the bed. "Shut up. I was tired and it happened that Thomas was very, very comfortable." Besides, I know about her little fling for the Brit and said Brit goes by the name of Newt. I'm not stupid- I see the way she smiles and bats her eyelashes at him.

Teresa scoffs. "You like him."

"Oh, I like him. But probably not as much as you like Mr. Issac Collingsworth," I say, wriggling my eyebrows playfully.

Teresa backhands me in the stomach. I screech with laughter, curling up into a ball as she leads a physical assault on me with her hands and fists. "I do not like Newt, Lizzie!" She smacks my arm and I rub the hand-shaped mark, pouting but laughing, too. "Elizabeth, stop it! I don't like Newt!"

"But you're blushing!" I exclaim, wheedling my way out of bed. Just as she charges at me I hear my cell phone ringing, blaring "An Idiot Is Calling." Still laughing and coughing, I answer the phone to hear the sound of chattering boys on the other end. I'm confused to as who is could be until I hear a voice- a gentle one…a sleepy one. Thomas.

"_Morning, sunshine," _says Thomas annoyingly.

I chuckle. I'm still puzzled to how he got my number. "'Morning to you, too, Tommy. How'd you get my number?"

Thomas laughs. I hear him yawn deeply. _"While you were sleeping at my place the other night I took to liberty of adding my number to your phone and putting yours in mine. I just can't let my lady friend wander around without some form of security measure to take with her."_

"Since when did I become a lady friend?" I ask sheepishly. "And I don't need the so called 'security!' I think I can manage on my own, Thomas."

In the background I hear Newt laugh. Minho snorts. Gally and Alby laugh like a couple of idiots. Over the speaker I hear Newt's voice. _"That's what Teresa said, love. One time she got ganged up on by boys and couldn't get out of the situation. She shouldn't have deleted my phone number!"_

"Shush, you! So, what did you call me for, eh?" I ask. I stretch as I walk around the room, feeling my joints pop and crack with each movement. "I know it can't be only because you need a companion or you can't stand to go without me for so long."

"_Pushing your luck, Lizzie. But, I want to know if you'd want to come over for breakfast? Frypan's making pancakes and he needs your Bottomless Pit to make sure his food gets eaten," _Thomas says. I almost laugh because he's referencing my stomach as the "Bottomless Pit." _"So…you wanna come over? Before you ask- yes, your beast is invited, too. Can't have stray animals starving, can we?"_

I grit my teeth to keep from bursting out into laughter at the look on Teresa's face. I let out a chuckle before coughing lightly, the laughter ebbing away. "You're terrible, Thomas. But I'll be over shortly. Let me clean up because I look like hell."

"_I find girls that look like hell to be sexy," _Thomas deadpans.

"I'll see you in about forty five minutes, Tommy Boy," I say quietly. I'm giggling like an idiot and when I try to stop laughing I laugh harder and harder.

"_Bundle up when you come over, Liz'. It's freezing out there," _says Thomas, his voice a steady mix of affection and authority. _"See you, Elizabeth." _Then the line goes dead, suspending me into silence. And of course, I'm laughing at the expression on Teresa's face.

Teresa growls. "I hate you." Next thing I know I'm being beat on, my sister diving on top of me, pinning me down onto the bed, refusing to let me get up. "I hate you! I hate you! I hate you! And I hate your stupid boyfriend and all his stupid friends!"

And judging by her words and language, she's determined not to let me up, either.

…

After a quick shower, a forced breathing-treatment, and a long list of other things I finally get to Thomas and Minho's dorm with Teresa trailing behind me. She's still grumbling at me but I ignore her, but I'm unable to help but laugh at her ranting.

"What the hell took you so long?" Minho asks as I enter inside the dorm.

I point to Teresa. "She was mad."

I look to Thomas who lies on the couch, gaming his little brother in a round of Advanced Warfare on Multiplayer. Judging by the scores Chuck is clearly the better gamer because the boy is quick and he's pumping Thomas full of lead. "I told you she had violent tendencies, baby."

"She looks like more of a 'love' instead of a 'baby,'" Newt says, narrowing his brown eyes in on me. He tickles me beneath the chin and I roll my eyes, feeling my cheeks heat with a scorching blush. Thomas shakes his head, rolling his eyes distastefully. "Oh, hush- better to call her that than reference that damn movie Dirty Dancing."

Thomas huffs. He props himself up on the couch and I scuttle over to sit with him. He leans back when I sit down, making himself comfortable against me. His brown eyes flicker to me and he smiles a gentle smile. "How're you, Liz'?"

"Fine," I say lightly. I brush his bangs back from his eyes, chuckling when he winks at me. "Play your game, asshole." I flick his ear, evoking gentle laughter as he goes to play his game. All the while I root on Chuck, cheering when he kills Thomas in a head shot. Thomas pouts- he goes as far as nipping my arm when I cheer for Chuck when he wins the game 150 to 60.

When they suggest a best 2-out-of-3 I know I'll have to get comfortable. So I happily hold Thomas' head in my lap, running my fingers through his hair and make it stand up. I braid what little bit of bangs he has and he scowls me furiously. I only laugh and I, lost in their game, wrap my arms around him when he sits up a bit, laying his head on my chest. So while enticed by the game my arms are wrapped around his chest, my chin resting on top of his head and I can smell the heady scent of what smells like pine trees and cologne.

I turn my head when I hear giggling. Teresa is off in the corner of the room, talking privately with Newt. She smiles at me, making tiny gestures suggesting something about me and Thomas. "You look pretty comfortable."

To piss her off I nod happily. I tighten my arms around Thomas, running my fingers through his dark brown hair. At first I feel his body tense but it gives way to delighted shivers. I feel his skin begin to heat with a blush, watching it creep up the back of his neck and then to the tip of his ears. I hear Teresa growl and I laugh, hiding my face in Thomas' hair. I peek from the shelter of Thomas' hair, peering towards Teresa. She's close to Newt- and I mean _close_.

"And you look pretty cozy with Newt over there," I say quietly. "Now…what was it about saying you didn't like my stupid friend and his stupid friends? You seem to like Thom's stupid friend."

I have Teresa blushing and a room of boys whistling. I watch as Teresa stomps out of the room- probably to hide herself in the bathroom. I laugh myself, hugging close to Thomas. I feel his warm hands wrap around mine, holding them, warming my chilled skin. "Damn, girl, you're a freaking genius! I wish I could make her squirm like that."

I laugh out loud, sinking down into the couch. "That's right, make yourself comfortable. This is going to be a while." Thomas then turns back to his game, his fingers hitting buttons wildly to kill off Chuck who is leading currently with 50 points. I watch in delight as Thomas struggles to snipe out the young man but instead of a kill like he was hoping for, Chuck runs up behind him and promptly slices his throat with a knife. I cheer for the younger boy, Thomas huffing.

"What are you getting angry about?" I ask quietly.

Thomas rolls his eyes. "You're supposed to cheer me on."

I glare at him. "Thomas, you're seventeen. Chuck is what- thirteen?" Thomas only gives a nod and I chuckle, holding the boy close to me. I hear Thomas' sigh of contentment and he then abandons the controller, leaning his head back against my chest and plays with my fingers.

"Still, I'm getting owned by my own brother. I don't take that too lightly," Thomas answers. Thomas laughs when I pinch him. I smirk, running my fingers through Thomas' hair, holding in a laugh when another shiver races down his spine.

The game abandoned, Thomas and I talk quietly with the others. I argue with Minho, talk music with Newt, and banter back and forth with Gally and Ben. Teresa shuffles out of the bathroom sometime later, still clearly embarrassed. At the last possible minute Alby stumbles through the door with his arms filled with drink holders, all of them filled with coffee from a local coffee shop.

Alby grins. "Okay, shanks, coffee's here. Your names are on the cups."

I give Thomas a look. He only shrugs as he sits up instead of his place in my arms. Alby walks around, passing out the foam cups to each of us. When Alby reaches me he hands me a cup, offering a smile to me. I take a whiff of it, smelling the familiar smell of cinnamon and nutmeg.

"I asked Teresa what you wanted," Alby says to confirm my suspicion. "By the way- I like my coffee like that, too." He older boy ruffles my strawberry-blonde curls, walking off into the kitchen to assist Frypan who is making pancakes bigger than my head.

I look down to Thomas and he grins like a maniac. I shake my head, taking a drink of my coffee, letting the taste of the familiar spices run over my tongue. I look back to Thomas and he nudges me, mouthing something. _"Wanna go out later?"_

I give him a funny look but I nod. _"Great! Know just the place to take you, too."_

…

Just as soon as breakfast was over I had to abandon my precious boys and I traveled with Teresa to the main building and to the administration off where I was given a crap-load of paperwork, introduced to a line of teachers, and then was directed to the nurses office where I was ordered to give off a list of my asthma meds and all of that other lovely stuff.

That lands me here, in my dorm, doing paperwork instead of being with Teresa, Thomas, and Newt. I said they could go on out and grab lunch since one o' clock is making an appearance. Teresa said I needed to be out but I fended her off, saying that I'd be fine on my own for a while. Besides, I have to fill out every student agreement under the sun.

Just as I near finishing the last of the forms I hear a knock on my door then it opens. I turn from my place at my breakfast nook to see a very happy Thomas Addams shuffling into my dorm, holding two bags in his hands. The brown haired boy grins at me, tossing his knapsack down and peels his shoes off.

"Thanks for announcing yourself before coming in," I say.

Thomas snorts. "Hello to you, too, princess." He walks over to me, placing a plastic bag in front of me and inside I discover Chinese food, a familiar meal of rice, chicken, and vegetables filling my nose. I look to Thomas, giving him a funny look. He only smiles. "You think I'm going to let you starve, Elizabeth?"

I grin, taking my food from the box, grabbing a fork from the drawer. I then begin to eat, my stomach's rumbling ceasing. "You're too good to me, Thomas. You haven't even known me three days." I swallow back some water to ease back the mouthful of vegetables I just ate.

"Think of it as hospitality," Thomas says simply.

I chuckle. "I'll take advantage of your hospitality then. But thank you, Thomas. This is the nicest thing any stranger has ever done for me…"

"We're not strangers," Thomas soothes. "Best friends- only to be accurate."

I nod. "Best friends, I suppose."

Thomas winks playfully, sitting next to me in my little breakfast nook. His eyes skim over the array of papers and he huffs. "These papers were a bitch for me. It took me forever to fill them out. How many do you have left, Lizzie?"

I shake my head. "Not much at all."

"I can work with that," say Thomas. His eyes, the brown having changed to pools of amber, flicker towards me. "Umm…like I was talking about earlier- would you like to go out with me tonight? We're having a bit of a party and umm…it is kind of customary for the newbies go come."

I give him a look. "Won't we get in trouble for parties?"

Thomas chuckles. "If an official doesn't see it, it never happened- that is our philosophy." Thomas nudges me, offering some encouragement. "So…what do you say, Elizabeth? Be my….friend to go with?"

"You mean date?" I ask quietly.

Thomas coughs. "If you wanna get technical about it…then yes, a date. I mean it doesn't have to be a date if you don't want it to be…but…I mean…dear God!"

"You're rambling, Thom." I laugh at the boy but come out of the giggles. "But yes, I'll go. I just have to get past Tessie."

Thomas snorts. "She's going with Newt."

"I knew she liked him," I say quietly.

"Newt's very taken with her, too," says Thomas. "They've had a fling for one another since sophomore year, Lizzie. They're both just too pig-headed to admit it." Thomas grins at me, his amber pools sparkling. "But maybe…we don't have to be that way."

I feel a blush come across my face. "Every relationship needs a good base- a friendship."

"So…not a date?" Thomas asks.

"Oh, it's a date, Thomas." I smile and Thomas jumps up, his strong arms winding around my waist. Thomas smiles brightly. He places me back down on the floor after a while, fixing my strawberry-blonde hair. "Teresa's going to die, you know that, right?"

Thomas shrugs. "There's always an ambulance there. She'll make it to the hospital in time." Thomas stops speaking for a moment before pointing towards my T.V. screen, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "So…how about a movie to pass the time? I went to the store and just picked up Divergent."

I grin. "I'd really like that."

Thomas throws me over his shoulder, making me squeal. I almost protest against him, suddenly remembering my forms. But heck…what will one day kill those things? I allow Thomas to carry me, the boy settling me on the couch. We put in the movie, clicking the T.V. on. Thomas and I sit side by side, but we don't necessarily stay in said positions. We wind up curled up with one another, resting in each other's arms, staring at the T.V. mindlessly as the movie begins.

And the thing about it is that I couldn't be happier.


End file.
